Southern Cross helps uncover issues of ageing

Southern Cross helps uncover issues of ageing

While in her twenties, Dr Patricia Moore packed her bags and went off to explore America and Canada—disguised as an eighty year old. What she found was a hostile world, one she has spent her professional career trying to change for the better.

In September, Dr Moore will arrive in New Zealand as the inaugural Southern Cross Healthcare/New Zealand Institute of Research on Ageing visiting fellow at the Victoria University of Wellington. She will spend almost a month travelling around the country sharing her experiences and her work as one of the United States’ leading industrial designers and gerontologists.

Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, Professor Pat Walsh is pleased to have Dr Moore visit the University.

“Dr Moore is an interesting, energetic person who has dedicated her life to improving the world for the elderly. She’s an entertaining, informative speaker and we are pleased to have her visiting Victoria University as the first Southern Cross Healthcare/New Zealand Institute of Research on Ageing visiting fellow.”

Southern Cross Healthcare Group Chief Executive, Dr Ian McPherson says “Dr Moore has some unique insights into the business of growing older in a world designed by the young.

“As with the rest of the world, New Zealand’s population is ageing. This will create many physical and financial challenges with the country’s infrastructure and services – particularly health.

“We are delighted to sponsor Patricia to come to New Zealand so that she can provide helpful insights about our future environment and how we will have to adapt to a population that is ageing.”

Dr Moore is an internationally renowned gerontologist and designer and a leading authority on consumer lifespan behaviours and requirements. Her broad range of experience includes research, product development, environmental design, package design, transportation design and market analysis for clients such as Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Kraft General Foods and 3M.

A highly sought after international lecturer, media guest and author, Dr Moore is co-author of the American National Standards Committee on Anthropometry and holds places on a number of boards including the American Physical Therapy Association and the Harrington Arthritis Research Centre among others.

Dr Moore has been named by ID Magazine (American-published international design magazine) as one of The 40 Most Socially Conscious Designers in the world and was selected in 2000, by a consortium of news editors and organisations, as one of The 100 Most Important Women in America. ABC World News featured Moore as one of 50 Americans defining the new millennium.

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